Waking towards a new day, my 17th birthday just around the corner being a few month away, I wanted to try and improve my magic further as I felt it would be lacking in regards to the magic I heard people in the mage's section could use.

With this, I gave my dad a hug, interrupting his morning coffee he just gave me and grunt and almost whisper "Yea yea, love you to. Be back before lunch, I am going to try and make a stew with some meat this time."

"Ok, don't work to hard I am going off to the library, I am sure there are still some books I haven't read yet." I chuckled at my own joke as I left.

Robby was already up by this point and was patrolling the area as he was a junior scout and had mornings off while they set up secure areas in the mines for the juniors to mine in the evenings.

I hadn't seen kira today but she might be at school for something or the other.

As I neared the library I always loved the site as its sign was so nonchalant and to the point "Books are here," and a Flashing sign showing "Open" So I entered the library as we call it.

"Not surprised to see you here after the other showed up, just try not to make such a ruckus, I hate kicking you out." An old womens behind the counter stated as I entered.

"Oh, I take it kira is here? What section?" I say

"History, and Mathematics." She replied back

"Ok, I will just avoid the section for now, got any new books on magic, or even advanced theories?"

"I did get in a load of new books, thankfully they were well perserved and only partially frozen, they were brought back a month ago but to make sure they wouldn't have a trouble, they were left the thaw slowly in a adjustment room for newly all that time. Likely Garbage, but you can look through them if you sort them."

Interesting, Judy hasn't gotten many new books, and now I have access to a bunch of them, "You bet, thanks Judy!"

heading to her small back room where the box would be, I find the box setting on a small table in the corner of the very small back room.

If this room had a door right at the entrance instead of a hallway, it would just be a broom closet.

I start on sorting the books, finding a few in a language I didn't know, I scanned the full book, into my wrist computer for later if I can translate it, and joining those books, I found a few on basic skills like cooking, and even a book series going a full 22 books in length, thankfully all the books were there, so I got them all scanned and can read through them!

I did find a few magic books, and they had some good content, so I scanned them into my watch and finished sorting the books.

After I was done, I informed judy I was done and felt my stomach grumble.

It would nearly be lunch time for Robby, so I went to find Kira.

She was reading so deeply into a book a snuck up behind he and tickled her slightly while making a SsSsSsS sounds.

She looked to have jumped a good 5 feet off the sofa when I did this and made a loud yelping sound.

Upon seeing her land back on the sofa and glared daggers at me, I lost it and was howling with laughter, she took this as a challange and began to hit me on my arms and shoulder yelling that she told me to stop doing that! 

After she calmed down, I was still laughing but I was able to get out that it was lunch time and I was going to get robby to eat at my house.

She shut up at that and I lead the way.

Robby was already click the timer for his lunch before we got there and was about to look for us, so he joined us and as we were walking back I hear a voice I had hoped I wouldn't hear again for a while.

Derak's voice was coming from the bar area right across from my house, I told my two friends to go inside, and I would be right in, I just wanted to make sure nothing bad was happening in the bar.

I entered the bar to derak barrating the bartender "What do you mean this is the best you have, I wouldn't use this to strip paint off of something. Surely, you wouldn't try to charge me for this when its as good as piss to drink."

"Sir please, you ordered it......."

But I cut the Bartender off "I didn't realize you knew what piss tasted like Derak, I am surprised you would share your fetish so openly." I say while smirching at him.

Instantly you can see the anger in him rise, but settle down almost as fast, very unlike him. "Oh, little Danial, I didn't realize you were down this low, might long fall from up in the mids. Heard what happened, might tragic honestly. A man couldn't even satisfy his wife so she started sleeping around."

Blood beginning to boil at that, I glared at him "If you are done causing trouble in this bar, I would advise you to leave. I don't think you have much of a chance, even with your gaurds." 

At this, that set deraks anger raging, "Whatever little Dani, but I have a proposal, how about we finally go up to the Area and have a bit of a bout, can't bet on it legally, but we are old enough to use it at least."

I was honestly giddy, I had planted the seed in his head long ago for him to do this, but I would take great pleasure in beating him. "If you feel you need to fight me, I wouldn't refuse. Later today, say in 4 hours sound fine?"

"Just perfect actually, make sure to show little dani, and try to put up a good fight, I would hate for people to think you threw the fight."

He said this as he scofted and left. I walked over to my house and sat down for some food as I was telling everyone about what happened.

As I got to the point where I accepted, my dad yelled "How could you do this? he is a much higher status than us, he has access to things to help him grow faster, learn quicker and become stronger! You have to be careful, I can't lose you." his eyes were watering at this, which in turn made mine water, close to crying I said "Don't worry about me dad, I haven't showed anyone what I can truly do in a long time, so I would say we are about even, and even if he is more powerful then me, I will push and be sure to at least tie!"

After eating, I headed to my room, donned the Pants I had made with extra pockets I had made after my previous few sets became to small on me, and loaded the extra pockets with 2 small steel sheets each.

Makeshift armor, but it may help.

Doing this, I unloaded the Magic stones from my watch as well as they weren't permitted in the areana.

It really is a simple thing for the area Fights, Magic and Blunted weapons are used, and the first to give up or lose consciousness loses. 

Now being ready, I headed back over to my dad and gave him another hug before I left.

"Just be careful, and if you need, surrender and bow out. No one will look down on you for doing so." He said with a stern face.

"Yea, I will be careful, but it will take a lot for derak to make me surrender ahah"

I left out apartment and headed to the elevator. 

After arriving at floor 50, I turned to section 2 where the area was station in the section area.

I walked up the the desk and before I could ask what I needed to do a man interrupted. 

"Danial Faedon, you don't need ID I knew to look out for you, you are in the 4th bout, you will still have around 30 minutes before you go up, and your entrance is at the green side" He stated while motioning his head to the right.

I nodded back to him and headed for the green side while I watched the current fight, the monitor should a Number 2 on it, so I guess there would still be 1 match before this.

The current match was been a large man and an agile looking man, it was interesting but they were clearly not trained and likely beginners, as they were slow.

I watched their fight with the Strong looking man winner out in the end, Endurance will get you that ahah.

The next fight was a slim women, and a slim man.

The man drew his blunted short swords and was ready, the women did nothing.

As the match started, the man begin to almost jog to the women taking a while getting to her, but the women seemed to be leisurely begin the casting to a spell, not saying anything, it was likely a chantless or modified spell at least.

Finally as the man was 5 feet from the women she held out he hand and a standard fireball stuck the man in the chest.

It looked to only have startled the man and did minor damage, but as the women began to cast again, the man was now on her, and she seemed to be taking longer to cast as she also had to dodge around.

Finally a small bolt of electric came from her hand and it looked like it would stun the man at least at that power.

But the man went down, jerking around like he was tazed, must have been more powerful that I thought.

Finally with the arena clearing, it was my time.

As the women exited the arena, I caught he gaze as I had fixed mine on her and simply state "Well fought, I didn't think he would go down to that, but it must have been stronger than I thought. Maybe we can exchange notes at some point."

A little uneasy, the women finally responded "That was nothing sir, just a simple spell. Thankfully it worked, but I wouldn't mind meeting up and exchanging if you wanted." Now the women was looking down slightly.

"Ok then, find me after the fight and we can decide when to meet up." I said, now heading to the area.

"Wait, I didn't get your name sir!" She stated almost at a yell since the crowd was getting rowdy.

"Danial is my name!" I had to yell back, before I got into the arena.

As I had entered the area, I saw Derak on the other side, gleaming armor for his torso and legs at least, none on his Thigh, arms or head.

This was likely due to the restriction of armor allowed. I didn't have to worry since mine was much less, but his appeared to be right at the limit, likely taking no chances that he would lose.

This might be harder than I had thought, and I thought it was already going to be a hard fought battle. Just my luck.